


Curse

by Judgement



Series: Perihelion [3]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26554057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judgement/pseuds/Judgement
Summary: You would do anything to help him.
Relationships: Karna | Lancer of Red/Reader, Karna | Lancer/Reader
Series: Perihelion [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1928575
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Curse

“Hey Da Vinci, I have a question.”

“Hm, what is it?” 

Da Vinci sets her cup down and glances up from the tablet she’d been reading off of. Giving you her full attention, which only serves to make you more flustered at the spotlight. Your question already feels ludicrous enough and didn’t need or want the full attention. You were sure she would laugh at you but you _needed_ to know and that was enough to overcome the embarrassment.

“Is it possible to — I know this sounds strange but bear with me — I don’t know how to word this.” You feel yourself flush, because how did you explain this? Wrapping your head around it when you’d thought yourself into circles was difficult enough.

“Start from anywhere and work yourself up into it.” Da Vinci encourages you with their usual smile.

“Right,” You shift and thread your fingers together, glancing anywhere but on the genius. “So I was thinking if.. a servant was plagued by something and you wanted to help them but didn’t know how. Like, plagued by something while they were in life..” You can feel the scrutiny of Da Vinci’s gaze and the heat burns hotter on your face. But you’ve come too far to back down, and Da Vinci at least wasn’t laughing.

“And that ailment followed them as a servant, is there any way to help them overcome it? Or.. permanently get rid of it so even if they return to the throne? I know it sounds dumb and it’s likely impossible, but I just thought—”

“Is this about Karna’s curses?” Da Vinci cuts you off.

You wince, worrying your bottom lip between your teeth for a moment. Embarrassment and shame hit like a truck and the most you can do is nod, because you don’t trust your voice. Not with the way your throat feels like it’s closed up on you, preventing you from speaking. 

“I see,” She’s not laughing and it lifts a giant weight off your shoulders. 

She’s taking your question seriously, and you have no words to express the gratitude you feel toward the genius. Even if it was a silly or serious question, you struggled to ask for help for the fear of how it’d make you look. As stupid as it sounded, when there was a chance that you could look stupid in front of your peers, you shut down. It had taken you days of mulling it over before you could even approach the genius in regards to it.

“My first instinct is to say no, it’s not possible.” She watches you carefully when she says that. Catching the shattered look behind your normally aloof gaze. “But, that’s only because I’ve never heard or seen this attempted. It’d be a matter of where to begin and how. Given the abilities of the holy grail, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, not by a long shot. If not with a holy grail, I’m sure there would be other methods to it.. but they’d likely all come at a price. Curses are nothing to be trifled with.”

Her gaze is like steel and he shoots you a direct look. Watching the way the shattered look is immediately shuttered behind an aloof mask. “Why? Are you planning to try?”

You inwardly flounder, clearing your throat once so that the tightness there loosens enough for you to talk.

“No, I was just wondering. Thank you for answering honestly, Da Vinci.” You smile and excuse yourself. The gears churning in your head as you bring your thumbnail up to bite on it. You needed to figure out where to begin if you were going to go through with this. And you knew you were.

* * *

“What do you think of that?” Da Vinci picks her mug and tablet back up. Glancing down at the article she was reading rather than the servant that stepped around the divide, looking rather conflicted.

“I.. am not sure.” Karna is honest to a fault. His expression shows the mixture of confusion on his face.

“Was she lying?” Da Vinci doesn’t even glance at the servant.

“Yes, and no.” He frowns to himself and this makes Da Vinci look up with brows raised. “She.. lied about saying she wasn’t planning to try.”

“Was she lying about the rest?” 

“No.” 

Da Vinci smiles at the lost expression on the servant’s face. Lowering the tablet and setting the mug down. “She cares very much about you, didn’t I say?”

“I don’t understand—”

“You need to be careful,” Da Vinci’s voice cuts him off, suddenly serious. The tone change is enough that it snaps Karna’s attention onto her. The childlike expression melts away to the stoic features of a soldier. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t know much about what she’s going to be attempting. I know it isn’t impossible and knowing your master? She will find a way. So you need to be careful, Karna. You of all people should know curses are not meant to be messed with.”

The warning sets into his bones, anchoring him to the reality that you were going to try to remove the curses he had. You wanted and cared enough to do that. He had seen many selfless acts in his lifetime, but for him? He wasn’t technically alive anymore, a part of the throne. Why would you go so far?

“She cares, Karna.” Da Vinci speaks as if reading his mind, and Karna trains his gaze back on the genius. “And as her servant, it’s your job to keep her safe.”

“Aa.” Karna confirms, his hands balling into fists momentarily. A subtle warmth blooming in his chest, enough that he raises his hand and gently touches the gem that rests there. Was this the bond other servants spoke of? The warmth that gives him drive and determination? 

He gives his thanks to the genius who waves him off, Karna trails after you form. Reaffirming that he would do anything to protect you, he wanted to protect you. You just needed to let him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hmm. The curse of kindness. 
> 
> Please let me know if you enjoyed this!


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